Finn J.D. John tells the tale of Portland’s Father of the Year for 1858 … a hard drinking daddy named Danford Balch, the star attraction for Portland’s first public hanging after he went all “Clifton Clowers” on his new son-in-law, with a double-barreled shotgun.

Heather Arndt Anderson regales us with the story of how a fir trapper named Ewing Young used his powers of moonshinin’ and cattle-wranglin’ to win the battle with Dr. John McLoughlin — aka the Father of Oregon!

Stumptown Stories, batshit crazy stories from the murkiest, weirdest, and nuttiest corners of Portland history, takes place the second Tuesday of every month at the Jack London.

Bees are arguably one of the most important insect groups on the planet. Despite their importance, bees are remarkably misunderstood by most people. For example, it is commonly thought that the U.S. and Canada are home to just a handful of bumble bees, sweat bees, and honey bees. In fact there are over 4,000 species. Many people list ‘hives’ ‘stings’ and ‘colony collapse disorder’ among ‘facts’ about bees. The truth is infinitely more fascinating than this simple list suggests, filled with the same twists and turns, complexities, horrors, and delights that an hour long television show provides each evening. This talk aims to dispel the common myths of bees, and will provide engaging accounts of the bees encountered in this region of the world, with clues for telling these stunning creatures apart.

The presenter is Joe Wilson, assistant professor of biology at Utah State University – Tooele (USU).

The Portland Science Pub takes place monthly at the Empirical Theater at OMSI. Check in at the theater entrance to reserve your seat (doors open at 5 PM) – there’s a $5 suggested admission. Food – which you’re welcome to bring into the theater for the show – in available at the restaurant Theory or the Empirical Café. Theory serves wood fire pizza, salads and salt & straw ice cream.

Parking is free for the event, but OMSI is mere steps away from the Tilikum Crossing buses, streetcar, and MAX; and only a few blocks from the Hawthorne Bridge’s multiple bus lines.

Dive into the world of dysentery, death, and DOS with Joe Streckert (Interesting Times). Oregon Trail introduced a whole generation of school kids to the wonderful world of westward expansion. Learn about the origins of the game, how it evolved, and how it matches up to real history.

After that, learn all about Oregon’s most catastrophic cinematic flop, Paint Your Wagon! Doug Kenck-Crispin (Kick Ass Oregon History) will guide you through the chaotic and expensive production of one of the most notorious musicals off all time, made all the more infamous due to the musical stylings of Clint Eastwood himself.

OMSI AFter Dark, a night at the museum for the 21-and-over crowd filled with food, drink, and science fun presents Gaming on Wednesday, 24 February 2016.

Shoot off water rockets, concoct chemical creations, and explore the wonders of OMSI with no kids in sight! Enjoy a glass of wine while learning about robots, tornados, or fossils. Talk to a brewer about the science behind beer, or taste how an extra 10% cacao can make a difference in chocolate.